From Outdated to Old World with a French Farmhouse Feel

A home built with peculiar angles and awkward features becomes a renovated masterpiece with French farmhouse touches.

Life had gotten a little cramped in Abby and Thomas Presson’s starter home. Not only were quarters tight inside the home with their three young children but outside as well, because the residence was situated very close to their neighbors. So, when they discovered a traditional Southern estate home for sale with a spacious lot and secondary primary level perfect for life with kids, they fell in love with it.

And in the areas where the house lacked, they saw potential to make it their own over time through renovations. They began by finishing the basement and adding a main primary-suite addition and a circular drive along with a front and back porch. Then, after a bit, they began Phase Two and enlisted Cheryl Bafford, principal and CEO of Cheryl Bafford Interior Design, for help.

powder blue storage and brick fireplace surround in renovated French farmhouse inspired home

“For this remodel, we focused on the kitchen, great room and dining room to start,” Cheryl explains. However, the timing and inspiration felt right, so the Pressons expanded their plans to include a piano room and library, powder room and tweaks to an office and attached bathroom. Cheryl was more than happy to tackle the additional projects and give the home a fresh, new look with elegant French farmhouse touches in a range of blue hues.

Awkward Angles

The house was built in 2000 with peculiar features that made the rooms feel dark, including low ceilings, outdated arched soffits and fluted columns, and tricky angles. “Our goal was to create spaces for this special family that felt fresh and new, while respecting the architecture of the home and their love of soft colors,” Cheryl says. “We wanted spaces that were both beautiful and comfortable.” She and her team got to work removing the varying heights of the ceiling and the arched soffits.

damask wallpaper, blue details in French farmhouse inspired sitting and dining room — shining blue. This corner has a calm blue cast from the sunlight reflecting off the room elements.

blue and white reading nook in renovated French farmhouse style home

Not only did they edit out the dated, nonfunctional aspects of the home, but they imbued it with detailed, Old World character typically found in a French farmhouse. They replaced the fluted columns with beautiful reclaimed wood wraps from a local source and installation team. Builder-grade doors were swapped out with antiques found in Texas and France, and stunning millwork was added to the foyer and piano room/library. A hutch in the kitchen was given the heirloom look of an old, treasured piece. “There was a particular dimension that we were after, so with the help of a terrific carpenter we created a custom stain and applied it to a new piece of cabinetry,” Cheryl explains. “He ‘aged’ the piece by hitting it with chains and a saw blade, and we added punched tin and mercury-glass knobs for the finishing touches.”

blue painted bookcase and piano in French farmhouse inspired home renovation — The color palette for these spaces includes nature’s hues of sky blue and sand.

A French Farmhouse Feel from a Blissful Blue

Abby loves blue and had already used it in the redo of her second-level primary suite. “For us, it was perfect,” Cheryl says. “We enjoy using blue in design because of the way it adds energy to a space in its brighter tones, moodiness in the deeper shades and calm in its softer, lighter shades.” In this case, it paired beautifully with the creamy, warm tones of ivory and brown, which were also used throughout the house. With the subtle and flowing color palette in place, they added depth and dimension by using lots of texture and subtle pattern.

The rough textures of the reclaimed wood play off the beautiful glaze of the handmade mosaic tile in the kitchen, while the pattern of the dining room wallpaper is offset by the pearlized ceiling and the rich tones of the millwork. “We added several highlights. For example, there’s a silk wallpaper in the piano room, which, with the addition of new lighting in that space, gives off a subtle sheen and elegance as a backdrop to the family-heirloom grand piano,” Cheryl says.

With the renovation complete, the residence’s tricky areas have been finessed into flowing living spaces that are artfully composed. It’s now full of warmth, making it the perfect reflection of the Presson family.

bookcase painted blue with French style chair upholstery in sitting room of renovated home — This large, floor-to-ceiling, built-in hutch showcases special pieces in a neat, uncluttered way. It also illustrates the importance of grouping and varying the heights of the elements on display to add interest and visual appeal.

Old World style bannister in renovated home

sliding wood doors partitioning off kitchen in renovated kitchen with French blue

details of renovated kitchen with blue and French inspired renovation — This corner of the kitchen was styled with simple, clean elements in classic farmhouse fashion.

blue kitchen island and sliding wood doors in renovated French inspired kitchen — perfect portal. Old wooden pocket doors add character while separating rooms.

dining room with blue detail and Old World wallpaper — perfect portal. Old wooden pocket doors add character while separating rooms.

Old World style hutch in renovated French farmhouse inspired home — stylish storage. A wonderful old wooden hutch appears even more stately anchoring the space alongside newly built white cabinets.

open concept kitchen with French blue cabintery — This before-and-after comparison shows the extent to which the kitchen was transformed from dark and heavy to light and airy.

Old World blue and white valence and tile pattern in renovated kitchen

French inspired kitchen with powder blue range — These kitchen spaces illustrate how keeping your color scheme to two primary colors can spotlight a third room element—in these cases, wallpaper and wood—for a powerful effect

Old World French farmhouse inspired renovation of family home

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